Less than a decade later, the first Richard Mille-branded timepiece was released in Richard Mille quickly learned the importance of image, exclusivity, and lifestyle. He understood that while a high quality timepiece always has inherent value, most customers in the luxury sphere simply did not buy products because they were of a high quality. A special formula designed to create both demand and desire needed to be employed in order to ensure not only that customers purchased your luxury timepieces, but also that they kept coming back for more despite becoming increasingly familiar with your brand.
I mention this last part about returning customers for a very specific reason. When the luxury image of a company is only skin deep meaning they are selling mostly image and little substance consumers have the tendency to wise up very quickly. High-end watch consumers tend to be very sophisticated people and strictly seek out value. Brands that are deemed to offer little value tend to not benefit from a lot of return business. Thus, Richard Mille was likely able to identify those brands who got lucky and sold one watch to people, as well as other brands who were able to maintain long-term relationships with customers who kept coming back.
Richard Mille is and was a major fan of motorsports. He even collects s-era racing cars. I recall an amusing conversation with him a few years ago when he said that race cars produced after the s were too difficult to collect and drive because merely starting the engine usually required custom-made electronics that in many instances were not available after a few years. In the late s when he was forming the idea of the Richard Mille brand and developing its first product the RM with partner Audemars Piguet more specifically the movement designer and maker APRP , Mille made his first important strategic decision — that his company would produce modern versus classic-style timepieces.
The plan apparently was for Richard Mille to produce timepieces in the same way teams produced racing cars — with total neglect of production cost and focusing on the use of modern production techniques and materials for maximum performance. If anything, what Richard Mille was able to add to the initial formula was the importance of wowing and awing its elite customers — something the work of luxury products of all forms has needed to do for centuries.
As for the baseplates and coatings, they are usually treated with PVD Physical Vapor Deposition or Titalyt, which is extremely durable and resilient. This kind of innovation takes many years to accomplish. The micro-engineers at Richard Mille are truly next-level. Besides the materials themselves, the finishing techniques are exquisite. This includes Anglage and hand-polishing, satin finishes on bridges, burnished pivots, wheels, and more.
The execution is to the highest degree, leading to a sporty, technical movement that is an absolute pleasure to look at. Richard Mille really was a pioneer when it came to understanding that modern watchmakers want to see the movement of a watch. After all, the movement is arguably the most interesting part of a mechanical watch. With a comprehensive redesign and high-tech materials, they make tourbillons to perfection. Their tourbillons are clear proof of their dedication to advancing haute horology.
Everything about the movement in a Richard Mille watch is intuitive and designed for high impact reliability. If you need a mechanical watch for an apocalypse, Richard Mille better be the one.
As you have probably figured out by now, making a Richard Mille watch is complex and very time-consuming. Most of the work is done by hand! It also comes down to exclusivity. If you make a ton of watches every year, it loses some of its mystique. As such, Richard Mille makes less than 5, watches per year.
While that is not exactly a small number, especially for such a young brand, it does keep things very exclusive. The demand far exceeds the supply each and every year, which keeps people craving for more. Many models are produced in a limited edition as well, which amplifies this effect.
All in all, scarcity is a very smart marketing tactic, which leads us to our final reason for why Richard Mille watches are so expensive. Richard Mille watches only adorn the wrists of the most elite members of society. It has become the ultimate expression of wealth in the watch industry. While the watches are very impressive in design, engineering, innovation, and so on, the marketing of Richard Mille has been pure genius. It is arguably the main reason why they can command such high prices.
You know if you have a Richard Mille that only other people like you can afford one. By wearing a Richard Mille, you are stating that you spent big money on it. It has become the highest status symbol in the watch industry, right alongside Patek Philippe. Even more so just for the fact that people know you spent a boatload for a Richard Mille and only the richest of the rich and famous celebrities wear them.
Put simply, you are paying a massive premium just because of the Richard Mille name and reputation. Whether you like the watches or not, just knowing that someone has that much money to drop on a watch is impressive. This is undoubtedly a tricky business model, but Richard Mille pulled it off remarkably well. From a technical complexity, visual finishing, and avant-garde exotic material point of view, Richard Mille stands above and beyond the rest. They do things no one else has done in the watch industry and they have built an unrivaled reputation of elitism.
So, whether or not Richard Mille watches could or should be priced less is irrelevant. The brand is not just exclusive, but the products themselves are too. We say, absolutely! After all, we sell Richard Mille watches! What we can say is, a Richard Mille gives you a special feeling, almost like a huge ruby or sapphire does. The price feels justified. The luxury watch community is smart, no questions about it.
All in all, the value is clearly there, which is why you can spend a fortune for one and resell it for a fortune just as quickly. Just contact us if you are interested in seeing what we have in store. We keep our Richard Mille watches in the back, bringing them out only for special customers.
You can read an in-depth review of this Black Phantom Richard Mille RM to learn all about it plus, it includes super sexy pictures of South Florida model Alexa Collins rocking it for a photoshoot! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Comment Name Email Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Search for:. Wishlist 0.
0コメント